PIA News Service - Tuesday, September 10, 2013

BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 10 (PIA) -- The city
government here will be celebrating the second anniversary of its Clean Ground
Zero Waste Movement on September 11, 2013 with a program and awarding ceremony
at the city hall grounds.

During the program, City Mayor Ferdinand Amante
Jr, together with Zita Duran, English Department head of Agusan National High
School (ANHS) will be presenting the members of the Youth for Environment in
Schools (YES) for Zero Waste Butuan, who has been active in environmental
activities in their respective schools.

As chair of the Committee on Environment, city
councilor Dr. Virgilio Nery Jr. will deliver his message and share updates on
the ongoing committee activities.

Mayor Amante will hand-over the plaques and
certificates for the Best Barangay Implementors; Best Regional Line Agencies;
Best City Hall Office Implementors; Best School Implementers and participating
schools.

The YES-Zero Waste Butuan Volunteers will also
be awarded with bar pins.

Awardees will then take their oaths as pledge of
commitment to be led by the chairman of the Committee on Education, Science and
Technology Ramon Carampatana.

Moreover, parade of gowns made out of recycled
materials will be held at the same venue by the selected ANHS students.

The CGWZ Movement/Program is aimed to facilitate
a social transformation processes among residents to manifest the desired
behavior of segregating waste at source, cleaning the surroundings and
converting wastes into money; and massive conversion of waste into organic
fertilizers (biodegradables) by the organic fertilizer production facilities
and useful materials (non-biodegradables). (JPG/PIA-Caraga)

KBP Butuan members unite for the Urban Greening
activity

By Jennifer P. Gaitano

BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 10 (PIA) -- Members of the
Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters ng Pilipinas (KBP) Butuan City Chapter from
different radio stations, together with various sectors, re-united during a
tree planting activity dubbed, "Urban Greening" held recently in Barangay
Masao.

The event is also in partnership with the
barangay officials, Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR),
Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of the Interior and Local
Government (DILG) and the local government unit here.

Some 250 KBP members with partners participated
in the "hataw exercise" and tree planting activity.

KBP Butuan City Chapter President and dxMB-Love
Radio Station Manager Israel Palero said the tree planting activity is
conducted simultaneously by the KBP chapters nationwide.

“Despite the busy schedule of our partner-media
in the field, we are here united and sharing the concern for our environment.
Let’s sustain life… let’s plant more trees,” said Palero.

Moreover, street children being taken-cared of
by the city government and the Butuan City Police Office (BCPO) also
participated during the activity, accompanied by city councilor Atty. Rema
Burdeos and BCPO deputy police director PSupt Romy Palgue.

In October last year, the chapter also conducted
similar activity in Mount Mayapay, Barangay Bonbon, this city.

The “Oplan Broadcastreeing” is in support to the
National Greening Program (NGP), a priority program of President Benigno S.
Aquino III. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)

DOH-Provincial Health Team Leader Dr. Helen Cano
said the awarding will be on Thursday, September 19 at Shacene Pension House
this city and expected to be witnessed by top officials of the province,
representatives from World Health Organization and health officials from
central office of DOH.

Accordingly, the province was declared
Filaria-Free by the DOH through a memorandum signed by Assistant Secretary
Enrique Tayag early this year.

Filariasis is a parasitic infection and the
second leading cause of permanent and long-term disability. It was first to
discovered in the Philippines in 1907 by foreign workers. (NGBT/PIA-Surigao del
Sur)

CRSH, BVMCES champion in Bonok-Bonok Maradjaw
Karadjaw Festival 2013

By Susil D. Ragas

SURIGAO CITY, Sept. 10 (PIA) -- The contingents
of Caraga Regional Science High School (CRHS) and B. Vasquez Memorial Central
Elementary School were declared as champions in the 29th Bonok-bonok Maradjaw
Karadjaw Festival on Monday in the Free Interpretation and Bonok-Bonok Based
category, respectively.

In this year's competition, the winning
contingents received P200,000 each plus trophy.

The Lumad Bayuganon Cultural Group of Bayugan
City and Barangay Anomar placed second in the Free Interpretation and
Bonok-Bonok Based category, respectively, with P150,000 cash prize each plus
trophy.

Third place went to Magallanes Elementary School
Dance Troupe of Davao City for the Free Interpretation category and W.D. Rafols
Memorial National High School of Barangay Poctoy for the Bonok-Bonok Based
category. They all received P100,000 cash prize each plus trophy.

?The special awards for Best in Choreography,
Best in Choreographer and Best in Costume in the Free Interpretation Category
all went to CRSH contingent and for Best in Street Dancing to Lumad Bayuganon
Cultural Group of Bayugan City. In the Bonok-Bonok based category, Best in
Choreography, Best in Choreographer, Best in Costume and Best in Street
Dancing, all went to B. Vasquez Memorial Central Elementary School of Barangay
Rizal.?

City Mayor Ernesto Matugas, in his message,
conveyed his heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to all the participants
with special mention to contingents of Bayugan City, Davao City and Davao del
Norte, and sponsors who contributed much to the success of the said event.
(SDR/PIA-Surigao del Norte)

DSWD-13 releases P3M to Pantawid Pamilya
beneficiaries

By Leah T. Quintana

BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 10 (PIA) -- The Sustainable
Livelihood Program (SLP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD) Caraga Regional Office released on Monday around P3 Million to some 300
Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte.

The financial support will help these
beneficiaries who will be graduating from the Pantawid Program next year to
have another source of livelihood so that education, good health and
nutritional condition of children are ensured.

DSWD Caraga assistant regional director for
operations Mita G. Lim and Las Nieves mayor Avelina S. Rosales distributed the
checks to the beneficiaries. Vice mayor
Avelino N. Biong together with the members of the Sangguniang Bayan witnessed
the activity.

Mayor Rosales and ARD Lim were one in exhorting
the beneficiaries to use the funds given to them for the intended projects that
they proposed. The two lady leaders also
enjoined them in managing the projects well and make it grow.

The beneficiaries through the three group
leaders, namely: Wilma Calaga, Nenian Silao and Nelia Obita, expressed their
gratitude to the government for the support given them. The three women leaders also appealed to
their co-beneficiaries for cooperation and support to each other to be able to
make their projects succeed in augmenting their family income and make their
lives a lot better. (DSWD-13/PIA-Agusan del Norte)

Fruit seedlings ready for Siargao greening

By Eugenio Lira, Jr.

SURIGAO CITY, Sept. 10 (PIA) -- More than 14,000
pieces of various fruit seedlings arrived on Tuesday, September 10, for
subsequent distribution to recipient towns for the 'greening' of Siargao
Island.

Provincial Environment and Natural Resources
Officer Zaldy Perater said the fruit seedlings will be distributed to eight
municipalities comprising Siargao Island, namely, Dapa, Socorro, Del Carmen,
San Benito, Pilar, Burgos, San Isidro and Santa Monica, in line with the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources' National Greening Program
(NGP) and the provincial government's thrust in providing alternative
livelihood activities for indigent families.

"This is the first batch of three batches
of fruit seedlings ready for distribution to eight towns of Siargao Island. We
have four varieties, namely, mangosteen, jackfruit, lanzones and guyabano. Once
fully grown, these fruit trees can also help enhance the island’s forest stock
to absorb carbon dioxide which is largely blamed for global warming,"
Perater said.

He said the National Greening Program (NGP) was
launched in 2011 by virtue of Executive Order No. 26 issued by President
Benigno Aquino III as it targeted to grow 1.5 billion trees in 1.5 million
hectares nationwide within a period of six years, from 2011 to 2006.

"Aside from livelihood purposes, NGP is a
climate change mitigation strategy through reforestation. We’re glad the
provincial government is very receptive and has identified Siargao Island as
our pilot area," Perater stressed.

Governor Sol Matugas said that aside from
livelihood purposes, the fruit seedlings will be planted as part of the
beautification program and landmark of every town in Siargao in line with her
administration's initiative to promote the island as one of the major tourism
destinations in Asia.

"These fruit seedlings will be planted on
the roadsides and each town would only choose one kind of variety they want to
grow and they want to be identified with. It’s just like the OTOP or 'One Town,
One Product' program which the provincial government is promoting as part of
our livelihood and tourism campaigns," the governor concluded.

Agusan del Norte Emergency Response Team
(Adnert) headed by OIC Erma R. Suyo led and facilitated the activity together
with the Adnert staff and volunteers from different offices of the provincial
government.

The two-day team-building activity was intended
to develop and strengthen partnership, foster camaraderie and enhance the
capacities of the participants thru competitive and friendly competition.

Gracing the Rescuelympics are guests from the
Philippine National Police (PNP) led by Agusan del Norte PPO PSSUPT. Eugenio B.
Paguirigan, guests from the Philippine Army led by Lt. Colonel Virgilio S.
Luna, Battalion Commander of the Army’s 29th Infantry Battalion and Percianita
G. Racho, Provincial Administrator of the Provincial Government of Agusan del
Norte, representing the governor.

A refresher course was conducted on the
following topics: Basic Life Support (infant and adult), Patient Lifting and
Moving, Bandaging and Splinting, and other Rescue Scenarios and was followed by
the actual Rescuelympics conducted by the Adnert team on the courses that were
discussed.

The Cabadbaran City Emergency Response Team
proved to be the most resilient and was proclaimed overall champion.

The Rescuelympics ended with positive vibe from
the participants, each hoping it will become a yearly activity for the PDRRMC
to bond ever year. (NCLM/LGU-and/PIA-Agusan del Norte)